The former Tory MP Rory Stewart has announced he will run for the London mayoralty as an independent candidate, after resigning from the Conservative party and standing down from his Penrith and The Border seat at the next election. Former Tory minister Sam Gyimah, who has joined the Lib Dems, said Stewart’s departure showed there was no longer a place for moderate one-nation Conservatives within Tory ranks. Just 14 minutes after his 10.30am announcement with his local paper, Stewart revealed his intention to run as mayor of London, leaving local reporters scrambling before their deadline. Rory Stewart: ‘If Boris Johnson gets a deal, my political career is over’ Read moreImages on his website were swiftly changed from fields of animals to the London skyline. The bookmaker Coral said that after a flurry of bets the odds on Stewart becoming mayor were as short as 2-1.

Source: The Guardian October 04, 2019 08:16 UTC